tracie potts following it all live from capitol hill this morning. even democrats don't think they can take control away from the republicans. >> well, they seem to have as one lawmaker put it the wind at their backs. the polls are showing they've got an advantage going into election day but do the math and it's not necessarily a given that they're going to take over the senate. that's the key here. there are eight races out of the 36 senate races that are too close to call at this point. we're watching them very closely, and they're all over from north carolina to new hampshire to alaska. if republicans can pick up six seats, they can take control of the senate. we're also watching all 435 house races and 36 gubernatorial races around the country. the justice department is watching what's going on at the polls. they've got people fanning out to more than two dozen districts around the country where they fear there may be problems with voter i.d. laura. >> in the most recent nbc/wall street journal poll shows voters most concerned about the economy

. >> nbc's tracie potts is live in washington. good morning to you, tracie. another republican speaking out today. can you tell us about that? >> reporter: today we're going to hear from house speaker john boehner, his version of what this republican agenda is going to look like. jobs and energy, that's the focus. we get a sneak peek of what john boehner will say this afternoon in this wall street journal op-ed he wrote with incoming majority leader mitch mcconnell. >> we'll see whether we can work with the president. i hope so. >> my hope is that they have got some specific things they want to do that correspond with other things we want to get done. >> reporter: republicans will mack a big push to build the $8 billion keystone kxl oil pipeline. republicans say it will create jobs and lower energy costs. they want to lower corporate taxes, reform the tax code and build more charter schools. mcconnell insists there is no chance of a government shutdown, or default on the national debt. immigration is not on their agenda, but president obama says he won't let

. >> i'm joined now by nbc's tracie potts in washington. tracie, what can they expect from lawmakers today? >> reporter: well, more ideas about how to get rid of this plan. they don't like it. they want it to go way. in some cases, how to punish president obama for going around congress. >> i think we should censure the president of the united states. >> reporter: as president obama heads to chicago tomorrow to pitch his immigration plan, republicans are trying to reverse it. >> we are going to shut down this president and his actions. >> we should use the constitutional checks and balances we have to rein in the executive. >> reporter: the president insists he's just prioritizing who gets departed first. >> everybody knows, including republicans, that we're not going to deport 11 million people. >> he simply is deering if the deportation. all of these folks are still deportable. >> reporter: supporters say the 5 million immigrants who get to stay aren't completely off the hook. >> they can't get a single benefit, welfare benefit from the g

nbc's tracie potts is live in washington this morning. tracie, what more can you tell us about the investigation? >> reporter: we can tell you that it did stem from that lawsuit, milissa, that essentially they're arguing that nfl teams were, as they put it, popping out these pills like halloween candy to make sure those players stayed on the field. now, a statement from the dea confirms in fact they were in locker rooms and at least one case at the airport saying they're currently, this was sunday, interviewing team doctors in several locations as part of an ongoing investigation into potential violation of the controlled substances act. that is a federal act. reaction from the league, the nfl spokesman, says they were cooperating with the dea and have no information to indicate irregularities were found. no arrests we have been told of. and also the players who were involved in that lawsuit, we heard from their attorney as well, saying that the complaint they filed back in may contained numerous allegations of illegal actions by the nfl

nbc's tracie potts joins me from washington. what's been the reaction to the keystone vote? >> reporter: republicans really don't seem to be feeling too bad about it. they know they're going to bring it up again next year. some democrats, as you said, who crossed over for the party and voted for it, it could be a bit challenging for them, especially mary landrieu who is trying to win that senate race still down in louisiana. the controversial keystone xl oil pipeline failed in the senate by just one vote. republicans aren't worried. they'll be in charge in just two months. >> this will be an early item on the agenda in the next congress. >> reporter: already warning president obama of a veto. >> it would be the equivalent of calling the american people stupid. >> reporter: the most urgent issue right now is immigration. >> i deserve full equality. >> reporter: dreamers, immigrants brought here as children want their parents to stay. a white house source tells reuters the president could allow that in an executive order he's promised before the end of the year. >> we are here

i'm joined by nbc's tracie potts. what can we expect from the president's address tonight? >> reporter: you can expect him, frances, to lay out pretty specifically what it is he wants to do. and republicans are already giving him some pushback, but frankly the president's opinion on this, his point of view, is that if he doesn't get it done before the republican congress takes over, they may not ever compromise on immigration. here is a photo of president obama preparing for tonight's speech. >> what i'm going to be laying out is the things i can do with my lawful authority as president to make the system work better. >> reporter: 18 democrats got a preview at a white house dinner last night. >> what he said to us, was, look, he said, look, i want to put felons ahead of family. i want to put criminals ahead of children when it comes to the process of deportation. >> reporter: we're expecting the president will announce up to 5 million undocumented immigrants could stay in the u.s., including a quarter million farm workers, patierents of children born here, children brought

nbc's tracie potts is in washington with more on what we expect this veterans day. >> reporter: dara, good morning. lots of events are planned here for today. behind the scenes there is a lot of work being done to make sure the veterans get what they deserve. the wreath is laid at arlington national cemetery, and veterans gather at the world war ii memorial. they'll be thinking not only about their sacrifice, but the challenges many now face getting health care, and other benefits. >> they need and deserve better medical treatment. >> reporter: on monday, new va secretary robert mcdonald announced the largest restructuring in va history to deal with long wait lists that kept veterans from seeing a doctor. he's building the case to fire up to 1,000 employees, hire 28,000 more doctors, nurses and technicians, and give every veteran a single point of care. >> we need to make sure we get things right. >> reporter: vets we spoke to agree the system needs to be streamlined. >> if you don't have the computer, you're lost. you have to go to the local library. >> reporter: veterans groups are

it's crazy. >> we end up paying for the armies that invaded us. >> reporter: tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >>> more details about the shooter who opened fire on the florida state campus before being killed by police. authorities identify him as 31-year-old new mexico attorney myron may. he graduated from fsu in 2005. police say may acted alone, shooting two students outside the campus library, and then an employee inside. police don't know why. they say he was suffering a mental crisis and feared the government. but look at this, student jason had just checked out books when it all began. later he found this, a bullet lodged in a theology book. his mother is thankful. >> a whole new light on thanksgiving this year, you know? very thankful for the fact that he -- he's alive. >>> a snowstorm in western new york has killed ten people, more than six feet fell in three days. sunday's buffalo bills game moved to detroit. the stadium is covered in 220,000 tons of snow. now a new danger, after shock. snow on rooftops. warm weather could cause flooding. crews from pennsylvania, connecti

tracie potts, thank you. >>> now a celebration of courage. a 19-year-old with just weeks to live isn't going down without a fight. lauren hill's dream was to play college hoops. knowing she had inoperable brain tumor, the date was moved up of her team's opening game to last night. they had to switch stadiums to fit the 10,000 fans who came out in support. lauren scored the first and last buckets of the game after her team won. she had this to say. >> i'm so happy that people know about it now and that we can get some research going. and hopefully find that home run cure for cancer. and even though i might not be -- i'm probably not going be to be around to see it, but it is going to help a lot of people. i just feel so blessed that this is all happening. i'm really happy. this was a really good day. >> wow. lauren vowed to fight pediatric cancer and was honored by legendary ncaa coach pat summitt with the most courageous award. well deserved. >>> a wintry storm blasted new england sunday. dumped nearly two feet of snow in parts of maine. main

nbc's tracie potts is live in washington. and, tracie, any sense of what the president might do, the bill passes? >> reporter: based on what we're hearing from the white house, spokesman just this morning, another possible veto. at least they say they haven't changed their minds on that based on what they have seen so far. still waiting to get details of these plans coming off capitol hill. one of which could come up for a vote today. the house could vote today on a bill to build the keystone xl oil pipeline. it is sponsored by louisiana republican bill cassidy. he's in a december 6th runoff with democrat mary landrieu. landrieu's bucked her party to support the pipeline, now hoping by backing off she can win this tight race. landrieu insists it is not about politics. >> they may be focused on politics. i'm focused on policy. >> reporter: even if the pipeline approval makes it to president obama's desk, white house advisers may again recommend a veto. >> i think it is fair to say our -- our view of these kinds of proposals ha

nbc's tracie potts is live in washington. tracie, good morning to you. and any signs the white house is getting nervous? >> well, the white house is really sort of downplaying some of these races that we're watching very closely saying president obama didn't win those states in the last election. so naturally they are republican states. they are very important states that could decide who is in charge on capitol hill. >> the senator from arkansas -- >> reporter: 36 senate seats will be decided today, eight too close to call. >> the vast majority are taking place in states the president did not win in the last presidential election. >> reporter: republicans need six seats to win control of the senate. how soon will we know? georgia and louisiana could end up in runoffs. more than one in four voted early. thousands of mail-in ballots may not be even arrive until well after election day. >> we're probably going to be waiting a little while before we understand or learn who will be on the majority in the senate. >> reporter: 36 states elect governors today.

>> tracie potts live on capitol hill for us. thank you. >>> you won't just be voting for people today. in prince george's county you can choose wheth leaders have longer terms. right now the council members and the county executive can be in office no longer than two terms or eight years. you can vote to extend that limit to three terms or 12 years instead. >>> we're keeping track of all of your choices. you can also vote to change maryland's constitution today. question one would require the state to change how it uses the transportati trust fund there. right now it pays mdot costs for other uses. if you vote yes, it will only go to buildings and other bonds. >>> you may remember the house majority leader eric cantor upsetting the republican party. virginia seven district runs through parts of ma nasa and fredericksburg >>> federal investigators are finding piec of e virgin galactic spaceship scattered across the mohabi desert in california. they found pieces 35 miles from the main wreckage. the parts were small enough the wind

nbc's tracie potts has details from washington. >> reporter: today is washington's prepares for a huge concert as the wreath is laid at arlington national cemetery and as veterans gather at the world war ii memorial. they'll be thinking not only about their sacrifice, but the challenges many now face getting health care and other benefits. >> they need and deserve better medical treatment. >> reporter: on monday, new va secretary ronald mcdonald announced the largest restructuring in va history to deal with long wait lists that kept veterans from seeing a doctor. he's building the case to fire up to 1,000 employees. hire 28,000 more doctors, nurses and technicians and give every veteran a single point of care. >> we need to make sure we get things right. >> reporter: vets we spoke to agree the system needs to be streamlined. >> if you don't have the computer, you're lost. you have to go to the local library. >> reporter: veterans group are hopeful that mass firings will send a message. >> everyone wants to see that. they need to see that you can't do this to people and get away with it

tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >>> and you can count on nbc 10 to bring you election results tonight as they begin rolling in, we'll have live coverage of the candidates across pennsylvania, new jersey and delaware. we'll hear from the winners and losers on air tonight at 11:00 and online at nbc10.com. also, stay in touch on your mobile device. that is a free download for your smartphone or tablet. >>> today, a california woman will vote for the first time in her 102 years of living. she is a mexican immigrant who became a u.s. citizen last year. she says voting is important to her because she says she hopes to see immigration reform ein hr lifetime. >>> a lava flow on hawaii's big island has reached a boiling point. creeping into a pond and boiling the water and turning it into steam. >>> now your nbc 10 first alert weather with meteorologist bill henley. >>> well, it's not that hot, but warmer this morning in part because of clouds overhead helping things out. watching for a few sprinkles. we've spotted a few on the radar screen and most of the area completely dry. 53 degrees at ph

nbc's tracie potts is live in washington. any sense of what the president might say later today? >> we know the president is going to speak later today, dara. undoubtedly he's going to have to deal with these election results and whether or not this democratic administration can get anything done over the next couple of years with what's now a firmly held republican congress. >> victory. >> enough of the failed gridlock. >> reporter: republicans picked up seven seats in the senate, one more than they needed to take control. senator mitch mcconnell is expected to become the new majority leader. his plan? scale down washington. >> friends, this experiment in big government has lasted long enou enough. it's time to go in a new direction. >> stop accepting this idea that people want to be provided for by government. >> reporter: colorado's republican winner says voters spoke loud and clear. >> get your job done and get the heck out of the way. >> reporter: some democrats held on. louisiana's mary landrieu is in a december runoff. new hampshire's jeanne shaheen won and is already talk

tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >>> exposed to chemical warfare. that's what hundreds of u.s. soldiers believed happened to them during the invasion in iraq in 2003. "new york times" is reporting more than 600 military members made that claim to medical military staffers. ordered a review after a "times" report that said u.s. troops faced chemical weapons in iraq. that first report said more than a dozen soldiers had been injured by sulfur mustard gas. >>> new questions this morning about who really killed terrorist obama bin laden. >> a navy s.e.a.l. is stepping forward but his story doesn't match the story of one of his teammates. they're telling different versions of the historic event. robert o'neil identified himself in "the washington post" as the man who killed bin laden. but a team member wrote a different story. three commandos fired shots that hit bin laden. the navy says there will be consequences for leaking classified information. >>> hold on to everything today. it's going to be a gusty wind. it's already starting this morning. a few scattered clouds, but no sign

>> tracie potts live on cap toil hill for us. thank you. >>> in just a few minutes the polls in west virginia will open. we are watching the u.s. senate race there. whoever wins will make history. republican congresswoman shelley moore capito is running against natalie tenant. either candidate will become the first woman elected to represent west virginia in the u.s. senate. moore-capito is leading in the polls to become the first republican senator from west virginia in 56 years. both are trying to pick up the seat from senator jay rockefeller retiring. the polls close at 7:30 tonight. >>> you also have a chance to get financial relief to military families in virginia. a constitutional amendment is on the ballot exempting thousands of military members who died in action from paying property taxes. the exemption is only for a spouse's primary residence. it is not valid if a spouse remarries. >>> no matter where you are going today, let us know if you see any problems at the polls. give us a call at 202-885-4444 or e-mail us at ti

tracie potts joins us. the patient had very developed systems when he arrived here. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. they did everything they could to save him but news came just over an our ago from the bio containment union that he did die. he was a doctor practicing in sierra leone, a surgeon there, but he's always -- he arrived saturday in extremely critical condition, his kidneys were failing, respiratory failure, they gave him experimental treatments as we've seen with some of the others but unfortunately it just was to no avail. he was the third american -- or third resident i should say to be treated in that center for e -- we're expecting a live news conference from that medical center in about an hour and a half. >> it's such a brave thing to do. thank you tracie potts from washington. >> and police are searching for a mabb who pushed a man off a subway platform and into the path of an oncoming train. the man was struck and killed instantly. police say the two men did not know each other. witnesses say the attack seemed completely unpro investigate.

tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >> and we have an entire section of our website dedicated to the election results in your community and across the country. just logon to nbc10.com. >>> 4:48 right now. happening today, an appeal hearing will begin for former baltimore ravens running back ray rice after he was indefinitely suspended from the nfl. it stems from that video that surfaced showing rice punching his then fiancee in an elevator at revel hotel casino in atlantic city. the couple married a month later. well, he and nfl commissioner roger goodell are among those expected to testify today. rice is seeking immediate reinstatement, but it is unlikely a team will sign him this season. >>> we're learning more this morning about the oregon woman who's accused of throwing her son off a bridge and killing him. jillian mccabe appeared by video yesterday in court. she did not enter a plea. relatives say mccabe had a mental collapse after struggling to care for her 6-year-old autistic son and her husband, who has multiple closis and a mass on his brain stem. >>> now to concerns over eb

but as nbc 10 national correspondent tracie potts explains many say the president is overstepping his authority. >> you can come out of the shadows and get right with the law. >> reporter: immigrants cheered outside the white house. >> no one has given such an articulate defense of our community. such a wonderful description of why it is we are deserving of action. >> reporter: president obama's offering temporary relief to as many as 5 million undocumented immigrants. like the college students he mentioned last night. >> they can't keep hiding scaring people. >> reporter: immigrants who have been here five years or have a child who is a citizen or came here can get a three-year work permit if they pass a background check and pay taxes. >> we're paying taxes. so we deserve to be included in that. >> reporter: the government will focus on deporting gang members, suspected terrorists, immigrants who have broken the law. >> felons, not families. criminals, not children. >> reporter: republicans are threatening to strip money from the program or sue to protect legal immigrants. >> the pre

nbc's tracie potts reports from washington. >> you've got to ask yourself, who's going to be fighting for you? who's going to be on your side? >> reporter: he's not on the ballot, but republicans insist tomorrow's election is a referendum on president obama. >> a vote for greg orman is a vote for obama. >> his failed policies go by the name of michelle nunn in the state of georgia. >> reporter: a new nbc/"wall street journal" poll shows 46% of likely voters want republicans in charge of congress. 45% want democrats. >> our ground game is whipping their ground game. the economy is usually what turns voters' direction. so, we're feeling good. >> reporter: in key battleground states, georgia, kentucky, louisiana, our polls show republicans ahead or gaining. they need six seats to win control of the senate. three-quarters of voters said they're more concerned about the economy and health care than ukraine, isis or ebola. >> the most important thing that voters will be asking themselves is who has my back. >> reporter: republicans do face some challenges. >> we have a wall or a barrier bet

>> tracie potts on the hill for us. thank you, tracy. the president is in myanmar today. tomorrow he heads to australia. when he gets back he could disc >>> developers on a high-speed rail project in northern virginia want to hear from you. there's a public meeting in arlington to let you weigh in at the westin crystal city in arlington. it runs from 115 mile from d.c. to charlotte, north carolina. >>> congresswoman eleanor holmes-norton is teaming up with states who have legalized may marijuan voters in alaska, oregon and d.c. approved ballot initiatives that legalize marijuana possession. she is holding a bipartisan news conference to push more states to make pot legal. >>> a critical vote to regulate medical marijuana in maryland. this afternoon a panel will decide on new rules for growing and dispensing the drug. it allows physicians to recommend marijuana for patients. it authorizes as many as 15 licensed growers in maryland. >>> protecting your family when an stkaps. the new timetable the feds have to check out this dangerous flaw in highway tkpwaeud rails> if y goi

tracie potts is live on capitol hill with a rundown of their agenda. tracie? >> reporter: hey, aaron. let's start with the budget. a trillion dollars that runs out december 11th. then the $5 billion the president wants to deal with isis. he wants to send more troops into iraq. he needs more authorities to continue arming and training the syrian rebels. that runs out next month. congress has to deal with that. a $3.7 billion request still there to deal with immigrant children coming into this country without th then there are tons of nominations that are still sitting on the shelf in the senate. democrats want to get those pushed through before republicans take over in january, including loretta lynch for attorney general. and finally they may deal with the keystone xl pipeline even before republicans who are pushing it so they can help their colleague mary landreau who is facing a runoff next month. some of your tax breaks are running out at the end of next month. aaron? >> tracie potts on the hill for us. tracie? >>> a man convicted of chandra levy is back in

nbc 10 national correspondent tracie potts has the latest from capitol hill. >> our son no longer walks this earth. our hearts though she havery are held up by the love and support that has poured into our lives. >> reporter: today authorities are hunting for clues in the latest isis video declaring the death of 23-year-old american peter kassig. though are looking at the background, trees and terrain to pinpoint where these killers may be. french authorities have identified this man as one of their own. they are looking at a second, two more maybe british. lawmakers got a briefing last night. some emerged skeptical that our air campaign against isis is working. >> i think they are adding to the ranks faster than we are able to kill them. >> reporter: there's at least one u.s. hostage left. a 26-year-old aid worker, isis kidnapped last year. authorities and the family are protecting her identity for her own safety. the obama administration still insists paying ransom for american hostages is not the solution. >> we are not intimidated. you are not intimidated. our friends and partners a

>> tracie potts, live on capitol hill. tracie, thank you. most voters leaving polling places say they don't have much trust in the government. nbc exit polls show the overall mood of americans is bleak. only 44% approve of president obama. less than half. more than three-quarters say they disapprove of the job congress is doing. 31% say they believe the the nation is headed in the right direction versus 65% who say the country is going on the wrong track >> now to the 10th district where barbara comstock becomes the first woman in history to represent that district. she beat foust with 57% of the vote. she took a swing after being announced by her daughter. >> i'm finally going to get a real job. >> couple stomaching replace frank wolf who is retiring at the end of the year. she thanked wolf and said she will serve in his great tradition >> marylanders decided to change the way they spend transportation money. it puts limits on the state transportation trust fund. they have to declare an emergency to use it for anything other than fixing hig

that is not acceptable. >> tracie potts live on capitol hill. tracie, thank you. >>> a police detective is suing a defense attorney he's the reason she received deat simms is was accused of sending explicit mechanics messages to his 15-year-old girlfriend. his girlfriend jessica foster called the warrant crazy and said her client was being persecuted. detective abbott said those words were directed at home and were defamatory and caused severe emotional distress. he is suing for $350,000. >>> we know who murdered a 1-month-old baby, his father. he was charged with murder in his son's death inside an apartment on trenton in southeast. police say the baby wa. >>> leaders put a stop to all fraternity and sorority. they said the action to halt activities while these mattee b students's safety in mind. >>> later this morning, we will hear from the two window washers who were rescued from one world trade center. the men were stranded for hours outside the 68th floor when their scaffolding broke on wednesday. firefighters had to break the glass in the

tracie potts is live on capitol hill with a rundown of their agenda. tracy, good morning. >> reporter: eun, good morning. first off, the the budget. the money to run this government runs out december 11th, unless they approve this trillion dollar budget. incoming senate majority leader say they will not have a shutdown. they have other money to look at too. 3.7 billion to deal with immigrant children. 5 billion to fight isis, including money for 1,500 more troops to head over. that's what the president wants. and re trathey are hoping to get before republicans take over, including loretta lynch who was nominated attorney general. the democrats may end up voting first because they think it may help mary landreau down in louisiana. she has been pushing that. tax breaks. the pentagon. programs need to be renewed. it's a full agenda. when you take out a few holidays, there are only a couple of weeks to get it done. >> tracie, thank you. >>> virginia's newest representative begins his term in august. brat will be sworn in tonight. he upset eric cantor in th

>> tracie potts on the hill for us. thank you, tracie. the nsa will continue to collect your phone records despite your concerns about privacy. the 58-42 vote was too short of the 60 needed to continue debate. president obama supported the measure. the election would have required the nsa to get a court order. >>> a somed phd mother is suing her daughter's former science teacher and the board of education. benjamin cano worked in benjamin in silver spring. he was accused of inappropriaty touching three students last year. he made a plea deal to lesser charges probation. he never admitted guilt. she is suing assault and battery and the board for negligent hiring and seeking $300,000. >>> 5:47. you can look for government-cov heating insurance. the website is completely revamped this kwrafr after a number of problems with its rollout last year. organizers opened it early. thousands of you have already applied. > police are trying to figure out what caused a two-car crash that killed one man and hurt a mother and a 55-year-old man was going

nbc's tracie potts on capitol hill taking a look at this for us. >> reporter: what that poll shows is when you look at everyone registered to vote, democrats have a four-point lead. when you look at likely voters, those likely to go to polls, it's a lot tighter. 46% sayre they want republicans in charge. 45% want democrats in charge. that is statistically a dead heat. not on the ballot but having a huge influence on this race. president obama campaigning last night. we saw him in connecticut. also in pennsylvania. he got heckled yesterday by immigration protesters. some democrats keeping their distance from the president. and a lot of republicans are trying to pin their democratic opponents to the president as they called them failed policies. also from our polls, our nbc maris poll is showing key states, georgia, kentucky, republicans seem to have e momentu they have the lead. it's only slight in louisiana. the democrat seems to be getting more votes. in a hypothetical run-off, the democrat loses to a republican or the tea party candidate. what that means, all those numbers together,

nbc 10 national correspondent tracy potts us, your vote could lead to a shift in the balance of power. >> reporter: 36 senate seat maze be decided today. republicans need six seats to win control of the senate. how soon will we know? georgia and louisiana could end up in runoffs. plus, more than one in four voted early. thousands of mail-in ballots may not arrive until well after election day. >> we are probably going to be waiting a little while before we understand or learn who will be on the majority in the senate. >> reporter: 36 states elect governors today. half of those are tossups. all 435 house seats are up for grabs. the justice department is sending poll watchers to more than two dozen districts. >> we will be very mindful of any anomalies that are reported. >> reporter: latino voters could be key in races with razor thin margins. >> both parties are not reaching out meaningfully to this community. they are leaving those votes on the table. >> right here in alaska. >> reporter: polls show a republican advantage. >> everything is pointing in the republican direction. there's

from capitol hill, i'm tracie potts, news 4. >> now, president obama is on his way to australia. he's wrapped up his visit to myanmar early this morning. president says he wants to s more progress towards democratic reform in myanmar. the company is trying to reinvent itself after decades of military rule. >>> when the president returns, he's expected to take executive action on immigration. republicans are making plans right now to stop him. for more on that, we're joined by mark murray, nbc's political editor. let's talk about what the president could do. mi i mean, amnesty for people here in the country illegally? >> they're not using the term amnesty. that's a term that republicans are using in this case. but essentially the idea is the president has wide discretion on who gets deported among the 11 million people living in this country illegally. what's been leaked out so far, this hasn't been official, is that people, for example, if you're a parent of a legal resident or you have children who have already been part of the dream act or deferred action for deportations, the

from washington, i'm tracie potts. >> thank you. for more on today's meeting, we have joined by karen dan. good morning. >> good morning. >> boehner seemed very clear yesterday, no executive action or else. what's the or else? and does the president have any leg o there? >> john boehner was saying, if the president does act unilaterally, it would poison the well for any other legislative action on a host of other things both sides want to compromise on. i think one important thing to remember is house republicans are coming off a big win on tuesday night. a lot of their winners think they motivated their voters to get to the polls by talking about this issuef immigration and saying they were going to -- republicans were going to prevent any executive action on immigration. however, looking forward to 2016, republicans really didn't perform very well with latinos, that's a growing part of the electorate. i think a lot of republicans want to address this in some ways to have a viable candidate for 2016 been. >> some observer res sayin

tracie potts has a rundown of what lawmakers need to get done. >> reporter: topping today's agenda, $1 trillion to keep the government running past december 11. negotiations are under way. >> let me make it clear, there will be no default and no government shutdown. >> reporter: congress needs to approve more than $6 billion to fight ebola, just over $3.5 billion to deal with immigrant children and $5 billion to fight isis. authorization to arm the rebels runs out next month. the president wants to send more troops to iraq. >> i don't think the republicans want to play politics with the question of deployment of forces against isis. this is a crisis. we can't wait until january. >> reporter: the senate got a ton of nominations to consider, includie ining loretta lynch. democrats will try to push those through before republicans take over in january. >> hearing some republicans say, i'm going to vote no on everything because we're about to take over the majority. >> reporter: republicans are eager to approve the keystone oil pipeline. but senate democrats may vote on that first. to help

tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >> we're joined by mark murray, nbc's political editor. one called this the mary landrieu preservation act of 2014. explain that. >> in louisiana, oil and energy are so important. so you're saying landrieu and her republican opponent try to one-up each other on something they already support. they're both supporting it. they're try to have a contest of who supports it more. democrats certainly want to help and put mary landrieu in the best position possible. i'm not necessarily sure this game of one up mansship is going to decide this. if there will be enough democrats that can push landrieu over the top of a race in which the original, she only got about 40% of the original vote. if republicans are still fired up after winning the senate majority, i think those are going to be the two biggest factors in this runoff. >> if there are enough democrats to support this, will the president veto it? >> it seeps clear from white house press secretary josh earnest he's probably going to veto it. he's been kind of a little cagey, keeping his option

tracie potts following it all live from capitol hill this morning. even democrats don't think they can take control away from the republicans. >> well, they seem to have as one lawmaker put it the wind at their backs. the polls are showing they've got an advantage going into election day but do the math and it's not necessarily a given that they're going to take over the senate. that's the key here. there are eight races out of the 36 senate races that are too close to call at this point. we're watching them very closely, and they're all over from north carolina to new hampshire to alaska. if republicans can pick up six seats, they can take control of the senate. we're also watching all 435 house races and 36 gubernatorial races around the country. the justice department is watching what's going on at the polls. they've got people fanning out to more than two dozen districts around the country where they fear there may be problems with voter i.d. laura. >> in the most recent nbc/wall street journal poll shows voters most concerned about the economy a

nbc's tracie potts has more on whether the continued killings will eventually lead to american troops in iraq. >> reporter: in a statement, president obama called the beheading an act of pure evil. he changed his name to abdul rahman after converting to islam. the former army ranger was captured by isis while delivering humanitarian supplies syria last year. >> i was able to share a little bit of hope and comfort with some people. >> reporter: that's one of the last times his parents heard his voice. later, they got this letter. >> don't worry, dad, if i go down, i won't go down thinking anything but what i know to be true. that you and mom love me more than the moostars. >> reporter: defense secretary chuck hagel calls him an inspiration to us all. >> he tried to give back to the world. he cared very deeply and loved the world he was in. >> reporter: american muslims are concerned about how isis is recruiting their youth. >> they're hunting for young people who cannot logically analyze things correctly. so they make them believe that it's the right thing. >> reporter: kassig's execut

tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >>> today marks the final day of the incubation period for a maine nurse being monitored for ebola. kaci hickox through into new york liberty international airport last month after treating ebola patients in west africa. new jersey governor chris christie said she should be held in isolation. she fought that order and was allowed to go to her home state of maine and then she fought a state quarantine there and won. her 21-damon tering period ends tonight just before midnight, but hickox said she will keep speaking out on behalf of public health workers and she's not opposed to returning to west africa. >>> american astronaut reid weissman along with a german and russian are back on earth safely. the capsule made a parachute landing yesterday. he had been in the international space station for 5 1/2 months. >>> take a look at this video. a fireball hit up the texas sky over the weekend. this is a dashcam video from san antonio. the head of nasa's meteor environment office estimates it was four feet wide and weighed some 4,000 pounds. and now they'll t

tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >>> who really killed osama bin lauden? a former navy seal is stepping forward. robert owe kneel identified himself yesterday as the man who killed bin laden. another member wrote a book that tells a different story. he says three commandos fired shots that hit bin laden. the navy says there will be consequences for both of them for leaking classified information. >>> more than 600 u.s. soldiers believe they were exposed to chemical warfare during iraq invasion in 2003. that's from a report in "the new york times." the pentagon ordered a review of medical records. initial report last month said 17 soldiers had been injured by mustard gas. >>> the labor department released ins october jobs report this morning. it shows that a positive trend has continued. the government says employers added 214,000 jobs last month. that means that employers have now added at least 200,000 jobs for nine straight months and that's the longest stretch of that happening since 1995. many of the jobs added in october were in lower paying industrie

nbc's tracie potts is live on capitol hillh more. >> reporter: good morning, eun. we new thousands of more troops were being sent and now we know where they are coming from, including one battalion from rockville. wee learned they are sending ones from baltimore and 68 from the 398th combat us is taped mid-support battalion out of rockville. i'm doing some digging to find out about them. they served in iraq back in 2009 and their specialties is logistics and shipping. and that's importa because there's a lot of equipment that's got to be shipped over to help treat ebola. they, like the other members of the military and the reserves in the national guard over there, will not be dealing directly with patients once they get there. they will be setting up hospitals and other facilities and training health workers. one of the reasons these particular groups were chosen e penta says is because they have a lot of high-tech people, doctors and lawyers, i.t. experts, engineers to help in that effort. they are expected to get trained here, they will obviously undergo all of

tracie potts is live on capitol hill with more on that. good morningyou. >> reporte good morning. at this point it's all about the numbers, how many democrats and how many republicans are coming out. and what we are seeing so far, low interest. 55% of americans saying they are interested in this election. that's down about 6% from the last two midterms. and we saw a significant drop off with young people. that's a critical group. and also with independents who tend to come out to vote in the midterm elections. so that could have an effect. the high turnout usually benefits democrats. we are watching a lot of races. the key of course here on capitol hill is who is going to control the senate. there are eight toss-up races too close to call that could determine that of the 36 races out there. also, 32 gubernatorial races in states around the country. all 435 of the congressional races on the house side, although republicans are expected to hold on to their majority there. so a lot of numbers this morning, but the most importan h are the 90 million people expected to come out to vote

nbc's tracie potts reports from washington. >> you've got to ask yourself, who is going to be fighting for you? who is going to be on your side? >> reporter: he's not on the ballot, but republicans insist tomorrow's election is a referendum on president obama. >> a vote for greg orman is a vote for obama. >> his failed policies go by the name of michelle nun in the state of georgia. >> reporter: a new nbc/"wall street journal" poll show 46% of likely voters want republicans in charge of congress. 45% want democrats. >> our ground game is whipping their ground game. >> the economy is usually what turns voters' directions. so we're feeling good. >> reporter: in key battleground states, georgia, kentucky, louisiana, our polls show republicans ahead or gaining. they need six seats to win control of the senate. three-quarters of voters said they're more concerned about the economy and health care than ukraine, isis, or ebola. >> the most important thing that voters will be asking themselves is who has my back. >> reporter: republicans do face some challenges. >> we have a wall or a barrier

tracie potts will join us live at 5:30 with what issues might come up in today's meeting. >>> economists are optimistic about the october jobs report. it is expected to show uptick of employment to the tune of 200,000 jobs being added f. this happens it means the unemployment rate would remain at a six-year low of 5.9%. >>> new this morning, ebola outbreak in texas is over. as of midnight, it's been 21 days since anyone contracted ebola or was in contact with someone who has the deadly disease. a total of 177 people have been monitored over time because they had contact with at least one of the three texas ebola patients, specimens or medical waste. >>> hackers didn't only get your credit card numbers, they got your e-mail addresses in that massive home depot data breach. as many as 53 million e-mail addresses were compromised. but passwords and other sensitive information were not stolen. they are notifying affected customers in both the u.s. and canada >> target is hiring air new security officer as part of its overhaul from last year's data breach. they got access from 40 million cred

. >> thank you, tracie potts live from washington this morning. >> and president obama is in myanmar. he'll talk with a noble peace prize winner. the president will next to to. >> whatever happens, republicans are determined to stop the president, setting up a showdown on capitol hill. >> guess what you get today. a free car wash. >> tell me. is that courtesy of some rein. it is. good morning youthat we are tracking. it doesn't end with this one, which is what you want to hear if you're somebody who has interest in raeg or maybe just concerned about the drought if we don't get the rain that we need. totals have been after brrn the moise is getting a little more rich. we're going to keep the showers going, at least through 10:00 a.m. this morning. if you're packing that precious kargo, aas we get into the next couple days, more change to come but not before we get a gorgeous weekend. we'll see a little pit of china kmchlt then sunday into monday be federal budget parkbut the big two weather days we're looking at for next week right now look like tuesday into wednesday. let me kind of s

tracie potts is live in washington for us. what more can you tell us about this investigation? >> we know that the federal government got involved. . the dea made these surprise visits to the san francisco 49ers, tampa bay bucs and seattle seahawks. here's what the dea said in a statement. agents are currently interviewing nfl team doctors in several locations as part of an ongoing investigation into potential violations of the controlled substances act. we have learned they wanted o to know what controlled substances were on hand and whether or not those doctors traveling with the teams out of town were licensed in their home state. reaction from the league, from a spokesman, saying, our teams cooperated with the dea e today have we have no information to indicate that irregular lities were found. there were no arrests. this stems from a may lawsuit filed by players alleging that the teams as a whole were indiscriminantly handing out painkillers like candy. the players reaction from their attorney this morning says the complaint may contain numerous allegations of illegal acti

. >> i am joined by tracie potts in washington. what can we expect from lawmakers today on this? >> reporter: more efforts from republicans, not only to roll back from the president's done, but also to punish him for that executive action. one republican from idaho says the president should be censu censured. a formal slap on the wrist from congress. ted cruz from texas, republican from texas, says that they should look at not approving any of the president's nominees for the next two years until he goes back on this. we'll see president obama this week tomorrow in chicago continuing to pitch this plan. the president says it will not give permanent legal status or a break to 5 million immigrants, almost half of those here. but it will basically put them at the back of the line for being deported. texas, by the way, which has a huge impact because of its long border with mexico, is suing the federal government and also asking for reimbursement for the cost of this. they're already spending $15 million a month at the border. betty. >> thank you very much. >>> right in time for than

tracie potts, nbc news, washington. >> thank you. >>> two races have been too close to call, so we'll keep you posted on that. you can find all our election results on our website, nbcbayarea.com. also scrolling at the bottom of your screen. election workers are expected to count more ballots this morning, so tune in at 11:00 a.m. for the latest numbers. >>> numbers i want to see right now, christina loren has those, our current conditions right now. >> good morning to you. really, really good looking day shaping up and good looking weekend. it's wednesday now, you can start getting into the mode where you're thinking about your weekend plans. it's going to be lovely around here. temperatures right now mostly in the 40s and the 50s. thank you to everybody who went out there and exercised your civic duty. as you know, we get to vote in this great country and it's a privilege. we'll be bringing election results all morning long and pretty much all day long, as well. what to expect in the afternoon, temperatures for today are going to be warm out there. in fact, we're expecting to peak f

nbc's tracie potts has the latest from washington. >> the 60-vote threshold having not been achieved -- >> reporter: the controversial keystone xl oil pipeline failed in the senate by just one vote. republicans aren't worried. they'll be in charge in just two months. >> this will be an early item on the agenda in the next congress. >> reporter: they're already warming president obama against a veto. >> it would be equivalent of calling the american people stupid. >> reporter: the most urgent issue right now is immigration. >> i deserve. >> more equality. >> reporter: dreamers, immigrants brought here as children, want their parents to stay. a white house source tells reuters the president could allow that in an executive order he's promised before the end of the year. >> we are here to say that we will not stop, we will not back off. >> reporter: some democrats are pushing the president to issue that order soon. >> he should go big, as big as he can. >> reporter: by passing congress on immigration could sour republicans and slow down budget negotiations. the budget runs out december

joined by tracie potts. what can we expect from the president's address tonight. >> good morning, reform the way president obama wants to see it is unlikely to happen after republicans take over here on capitol hill in january so he is trying to make some of the changes now. here's a photo of president obama preparing for tonight's speech. >> what i'll be laying out is the things that i can do with my lawful authority as president to make the system work better. >> 18 democrats got a preview at a white house dinner last night. >> he said look, i want to put felons ahead of family. i want to put criminals ahead of children when it comes to the processes of deportation. >> we're expecting the president will announce up to 5 million undocumented immigrants could stay in the u.s. including a quarter million farm workers parents of children born here, children brought here illegally and high-tech college graduates. >> a lot of these people are law abiding what i consider citizens and i feel they should have the r

nbc's tracie potts is live in washington. all right, tracie, today another top republican will be speaking out. tell us about that. >> reporter: yeah, we're going to hear from john boehner today. he's going to do his version of what mitch mcconnell did yesterday which is lay out the republican agenda. now, the president is going to skit down with these republican leaders and democrats too at the white house tomorrow. don't know if they'll do any kentucky bourbon tomorrow but we do know that president obama has said he's not going to allow his priorities to sit on the back burner. jobs and energy. we get a sneak people of what john boehner will say in this wall street journal opponent he'd wrote with mitch mcconnell. >> i hope we can work with the president. >> my hope is that they've got some specific things they want to do that correspond with some things we want to get done. >> reporter: republicans will make a big push to build the $8 billion keystone xl oil pipeline. president obama blocked it over environmental concerns.

tracie potts is live for us in washington this morning. any sense of what the president might do if this bill does pass? >> based on what we heard from the white house early this morning, a likely veto not set in stone but likely. the house could vote today on a bill to build the keystone pipeline. it's sponsored by louisiana republican bill cassidy. he's in a december 6th runoff with mary landrieu. she's bucked her party to support the pipeline. now they are hope iing by backi off she can win this tight race. landrieu insists it's not about politi politics. >> they may be focused on politics. i'm focused on policy. >> reporter: even if the approval make s it to president obama's desk, advisers may recommend a veto. >> it's fair to say that our view of these kinds of proposals has not changed. . >> reporter: for six years the pipeline stalled over environmental concerns sending oil 1,100 miles through the u.s. plus there's a court case pending in nebraska over the route. >> the president is wait iing f action to pan out in nebraska and he